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An Instrument of Influence

GABRIEL SCHOENFELD

Updated Jan. 24, 2008 12:01 a.m. ET

From the 1930s to the 1950s, under the direct supervision of Joseph Stalin, Communist parties around the world set up "front groups" -- organizations under their own control but not publicly affiliated with them -- to advance the interests of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of World War II, America's fledgling CIA, seeking ways to counter Soviet influence in Europe and elsewhere, took a leaf from the adversary's playbook, covertly funding individuals and organizations that would advance the fortunes of the Free World. The CIA's conduct in this period has been much vilified in recent years. Hugh Wilford's...